Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative

08/07/2026

Next Thursday, August 13, the CA Senate Appropriations Committee will hold their suspense hearing--and AB 1245 (Stefani) will either advance to the Senate floor, or die.

AB 1245 is first-of-its-kind procurement legislation sponsored by SJI that will prevent human trafficking and child labor in California's supply chain. Specifically, this bill will:

*Create clear definitions for what constitutes human trafficking and forced labor, recruitment fees, and who qualifies as a contractor or subcontractor.

*Provide guidance to contractors, subcontractors, and companies on prohibited actions regarding contracts, and how to respond to trafficking issues in their supply chains.

*Require state government contractors to certify a compliance plan for themselves and all subcontractors for large contracts.

California can leverage its vast purchasing power to protect children and workers from exploitation, ensuring that future CA public contracts are supported by ethical business practices.

08/06/2026

A recent LAist report highlights that Olympic security plans could displace unhoused residents living near LA28 venues, yet there is still no clear plan for where people will go. The article also notes that LA28's Human Rights Strategy largely defers responsibility to local government rather than making concrete commitments of its own.

This is why SJI continues its work to ensure that LA28 adopts and funds a meaningful human rights plan. We know that displacement, housing instability, and economic vulnerability can increase the risk of human trafficking.

SJI is calling on LA28 to:
✅ Voluntarily fund services that support unhoused residents and prevent human trafficking.
✅ Commit to covering the costs of enhanced protections and services needed during the Games through a City agreement due in October 2027.
✅ Adopt a real human rights plan with measurable commitments, funding, transparency, and accountability.
The Olympic legacy should be one of human rights, not displacement. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4q0Gcxc

08/04/2026

SJI’s work is grounded in public health and anti-carceral approaches to human trafficking.

A public health approach looks beyond individual cases. It asks not only what happened to someone, but also what conditions made the harm possible.

Poverty, racism, immigration-related fears, housing instability, unsafe workplaces, ableism, and other forms of inequality can increase vulnerability to trafficking. These barriers can also make it harder to access help and justice.

That is why effective anti-trafficking work must include prevention, trusted community-based services, and long-term support. It must also center people who often face the greatest barriers, including people of color, immigrants, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, and people experiencing poverty.

An anti-carceral approach recognizes that arrest, detention, and prosecution can cause additional harm, especially when survivors are criminalized for conduct connected to their exploitation.

For SJI, this means preventing harm before crisis, supporting people without punishment, addressing root causes, and investing in safer, stronger communities.

07/31/2026

Record-breaking heat waves across the US and Europe this summer have created dangerous climate conditions for countless communities. Wildfires, storms, flooding, and other natural disasters worsened by climate change not only destabilize essential systems--like housing, employment, and healthcare--but also displace individuals and communities. Traffickers are able to exploit this heightened vulnerability by recruiting victims for disaster recovery efforts, namely in construction, day labor, and domestic work.

At SJI, our goal is to embed anti-trafficking measures into recovery efforts, expand ethical labor standards, and increase public awareness of this issue to prevent exploitation in the wake of natural disasters. AB 2101 can help us realize this goal by expanding Civil Code § 52.6. The bill is currently in Senate appropriations. The bill is currently in Senate appropriations.

Read more about our Climate Justice policy priority and AB 2101 on our website: www.lls.edu/sunitajain/trafficking-in-disasters

07/30/2026

July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This year’s UN campaign is “Trapped Behind the Scam.”

Criminal groups recruit people with fake offers for jobs such as customer service, sales, or technology work. Once they begin working, they discover the job is not what they were promised. Instead, traffickers force them to commit online scams and use threats, violence, or other forms of control to stop them from leaving.

In 2023, scams connected to organized criminal groups in Asia and Southeast Asia caused an estimated $37 billion in losses in the United States.

People forced to commit these crimes should be recognized as trafficking victims and connected to safety, services, and legal support.

As online scams become more common, communities also need greater awareness, prevention, and resources.

Read more at www.endht.org

07/28/2026

In October 2025, Governor Newsom signed AB 1362 (Kalra) — first-of-its-kind legislation to prevent the trafficking of H-2A agricultural workers in California.

With implementation set for July 2027, the clock is ticking. This month SJI submitted detailed recommendations to the CA Labor Commissioner and the Department of Industrial Relations — the agencies charged with making AB 1362 a reality.

50,000 H-2A workers enter California every year. They deserve protections against human trafficking at the point of recuritment. Read our recommendations and share to show your support. Thanks to Assmeblymembers Kalra,SB 16 Connolly, Harabedian, Lee, McKinnor, Ortega, and Stefani and Senators Laid & Wahab for being Co-Authors of this bill.

Read SJI Recommendations for Implementation: www.lls.edu/sunitajain/ab-1362

07/24/2026

Under the Trump Administration, Trafficking Survivors are being denied access to necessary benefits. In a recent data release from Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST), T visa processing times have increased from 19 months in January 2025, to 31.5 months now.

Survivors of human trafficking have been able to apply for T visas in the past to protect them from both their traffickers and from deportation. CAST reports that only 4.6% of T visa applications were adjudicated by USCIS last quarter, creating a backlogged queue that would take 44 years to clear at this rate.

Read the full article from CAST at https://bit.ly/4wdVSPV.

07/23/2026

Did you know California will have greater protections for H-2A workers than any other state starting July of 2027? This is because of AB 1362, a key piece of legislation that extends the Foreign Labor Recruiter (FLR) Program to H-2A visa holders. AB 1362 adds state-level recruitment protections to about 50,000 agriculture workers who enter CA each year.

Effective implementation of AB 1362 in 2027 is the next step for protecting H-2A agricultural workers-- one of the most economically vulnerable populations in the American Labor Market-- from coercion, debt bo***ge, and other forms of exploitation.

For more information, read our partner's Op Ed for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, written by Alessandra Stevens and Julia Solórzano about the abuse of H-2A workers in Georgia.
https://www.ajc.com/opinion/2026/07/dont-expand-broken-farmworker-program-enabling-human-trafficking-in-georgia/

07/22/2026

Even though the games are over, many questions remain unanswered.

Throughout the planning process, we identified who could be impacted and advocated for clarity about how they would be protected, what concrete prevention measures would be implemented, what funding was needed, how the response would be evaluated, and whether there would be real transparency. Not all of these concerns were fully addressed. Los Angeles should not ignore them as it prepares for future major games.

07/17/2026

Libby Rainey for LAist highlights concerns about what may happen to unhoused people and communities as Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Olympic Games.

With many visitors expected to come to LA, there are concerns that sweeps and displacement could create more instability for people already living without safe housing. When people do not have basic needs like shelter, food, clothing, or support, they can become more vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.

Sweeps can also make it harder for unhoused people to stay connected to services and resources.

Rainey also notes that LA28 has promised grant funding for community-based human rights groups, but details about the program have not yet been provided.

Read the full article:

https://laist.com/news/politics/mass-displacement-of-unhoused-people-and-human-rights-concerns-loom-over-la-olympics-planning

At a Tuesday L.A. City Council committee meeting, local officials and councilmembers questioned LA28's human rights plans, including for addressing homelessness.